Wild Turkeys Wild Turkeys
Meleagris gallopavo silvestris
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Wild Turkey, Track, and Trail Pattern |
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Click here to hear a turkey gobble. (36K WAV)
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Wild turkeys are native to the southeastern United States. They have been
introduced in many parts of the west, including California. They prefer oak woodlands, but
are found in grasslands and pine forests as well.
They are swift runners and are wary of people. However, I have found them to be bold when they know there is food around. Turkeys have approached quite close to me when I am putting out food for other birds at feeders. Turkeys are polygamous. The male struts with his tail fanned to attract a harem. He fluffs up his feathers and drags his wing tips along the ground. This makes him look bigger. See photos below. You can often find the tracks made by the dragging wingtips. |
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Where they naturally occur, wild turkeys were used by Native Americans as food. Some tribes refused to eat turkeys, believing that the birds were stupid and cowardly. The people feared that eating the birds would cause them to acquire some of these characteristics. Turkeys lay eight to ten buff-colored eggs with brown spots. Eggs are laid in a shallow depression in the ground, lined with grass and leaves. I have found these nests in tall grass in spring. The typical call is a gobble, although turkeys use other calls as well.
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This wild turkey track shows the detail of the pattern on the toes very well. The pebbly texture of the toes is similar to that found on porcupine and raven tracks. It is hard to see unless you find the track in good mud or fine soil. Three toes point forward. The round imprint where the three toes come together does not always show in the tracks. This is the metatarsal pad. Claw marks are visible on several toes in this picture. Turkeys have a fourth toe, which faces backward. But this does not always show in the tracks because they don't always place the foot entirely flat on the ground. Sometimes there will be a mark from the claw. |
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| These holes in the ground were made by turkeys sticking their beaks into it to find something to eat. |
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Another turkey track, in softer sandy soil. |
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| How to identify wild turkey gobblers (males) and hens (females) | |
| The male turkey has a more colorful head and darker plumage. He also has a spur on each leg and a "beard" of feathers on the chest. Young gobblers may not have the spur and beard yet. These youngsters are called "jakes." | The female turkey has a more subtly colored head. She is able to hide better due to this natural camouflage. It is useful when she is sitting on her nest and needs to be concealed from predators. |
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This wild turkey track shows the fine details of the foot. Nice, clear mud like this is ideal for tracking. This is the right foot. If you look closely, you will see the imprint of the hind toe, or hallux. The small indentation is from the nail on this toe. There is also a small, round imprint from the pad in the center of the foot. If this were the left track, the hallux imprint would be on the right side of the track, as it faces inward. |
| Here is a turkey track showing its size. The ruler provides scale. When photographing tracks, it is a good idea to include some object that is easy to recognize as a scale. A ruler or tape measure is ideal, but you can use pennies, pens, or other objects whose measurements you can easily obtain. Straight edged objects are best though. |
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Wild turkey tracks in a typical trail pattern. This perfect mud held nice, detailed tracks. |
| Wild turkey track in coarse river sand. All details are visible in this track, including the hallux. |
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Pair of tom turkeys displaying their fans. |
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| This formless scat from a young wild turkey shows how diet can change the appearance of the scats. Scats normally look tubular. | This tiny scat was from a baby wild turkey less than a week old. |
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A wild turkey scat. |
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Wild turkey scats of different ages and sizes. In late summer, you will find the scats of the young turkeys too. |
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The three different scats on the left are provided to compare between different herbivore species. Deer scats are more oblong than those of rabbits. Turkeys are more tubular and larger than the others. All are composed of similar material. |
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Where do turkeys go at night? They commonly roost in trees like this old Douglas fir. This gets them up off the ground, where they are more vulnerable to predators. High up in a tree, the turkeys can safely sleep the night away, knowing few predators can climb after them. |
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| The foot of a tom turkey. The males have the extra claw located high up on the leg. It is called a spur. They use this for fighting. The hind toe is called the hallux. | |
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| This gobbler has his snood extended. The snood can lengthen and shorten in seconds. | A gobbler gobbling. The bright red color is often seen during the mating season when it serves to attract a mate. The major caruncles also get bigger. |
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| These three gobblers paused on a grassy hillside to watch a group of hens nearby. | |
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| A pair of Tom turkeys visiting the Eel River for a drink. Just before dusk, the turkeys go to the river and get a drink. Then they go up the hill to their favorite roost trees, where they spend the night, high out of the reach of predators. | |
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| Two types of turkey feathers. | |
Personal Notes on Wild
Turkeys
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I have seen wild turkeys frequently. When I attended a recent tracking class at Henry W. Coe State Park in California, I camped in the park. The wild turkeys would call every morning and we would see them walking right by the campground. The males fan their feathers and call to the females. On the property I caretake, turkeys are sometimes seen in the trees and all over the grassy areas. I often hear them call from the tops of trees. For such a large bird, they can be difficult to see through the foliage. My cats watch the turkeys in fascination. Obviously the biggest bird they've ever seen! |
Here are some pictures of the turkeys that live in my "back yard."
Find wild turkey posters, greeting cards, t-shirts, hats, and more in my new store.
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Now available: "Animals Don't Cover
Their Tracks - An Introduction to Animal Tracking" on CD! (Version 3.0)
New drawings, more species, more photos, more extensive sections on tracking
humans, more detailed directions for plaster casting, mystery tracks section,
tracking stories section, and more. The CD features over 100 species, including
special bonus sections with the tracks of some African and Australian
animals. A large section on tracking lost people for search and rescue is
included, with over four pages of photos showing the details of tracks and
signs people leave. Easy to use format. This web site is limited
by bandwidth, but the CD-ROM is not. The CD is available in my online store at:
www.dirt-time.com
Works with Mac or PC. Happy tracking!!
What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's animal tracks coloring book, T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you! |
| Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459* |
| Also visit these fine
stores for more products of interest: NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request. ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here. Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year! |
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If you wish to help keep this site online, donations are
accepted through PayPal. |
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Got a wild turkey story? E-mail me and tell me about it. You are visitor number:
Copyright © 1997 - 2008. Text,
photos, and drawings by Kim A. Cabrera. |
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Copyright © 1997 - 2008. Kim A. Cabrera - Desert Moon Design
Page last updated: January 19, 2008.
